Lenovo moto G5 and G5+ - The black eye with a lot of intelligence
26.2.2017
Translation: machine translated
Lenovo makes Moto phones that used to be called Motorola. The Chinese company unveiled the new moto G5 and moto G5+ models at the Mobile World Congress. In addition to their striking form factor, the devices are likely to catch the eye of photography fans in particular.
Lenovo doesn't just make laptops that are considered workhorses and virtually indomitable. The T series, formerly manufactured by IBM, is now called Lenovo Thinkpad. Motorola's smartphones are in a similar position. The US company first ceded the trademark rights to smartphones to Google and then the eye-catching circular logo with a stylised M in the middle ended up with the Chinese. They have now unveiled the moto G5 and the moto G5+ at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
One thing is particularly striking: the large, black circle on the back of the device. Although some manufacturers, including HTC, have declared the metal body dead, I don't really see what's wrong with it. Both the 5-inch version and the 5.2-inch version feel good in the hand and look sturdy.
Smartphone fanatics are now wondering why I am writing so long and hard about the G5 and G5+ when other devices with more system performance, newer technology and whatnot will be unveiled at the MWC in Barcelona. Because the moto G5 and its big brother with the Plus have one outstanding factor that makes a second look necessary: the price-performance ratio.
No other phone manages to offer the system performance of the moto G5 and G5+ at such a price. Therefore: A review.
Solid average with a few peaks
My work colleague would now write to me as a message "What is this for 1 Fon vong Specs". Because we don't always write like that, as you'll know after reading this sentence. Good question, because somehow the technical data only impresses under the umbrella of the price. Don't get me wrong, the Lenovo moto G5 and G5+ don't do anything wrong, but they don't revolutionise the market either. Snapdragon 625 processor with eight cores, Adreno 506 GPU and a FullHD display. Plus a 12MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera for selfies and video calls with a wide-angle lens. It fits the bill.
The camera is worth a second look, as it is equipped with some additional functions on the software side that are quite impressive. Not only can the camera produce interesting images in manual mode, even for professionals, but the shot can be triggered with a tap anywhere on the screen. Although this is only a software feature, both are indicators of how Lenovo is approaching the mobile market.
The Chinese company is not interested in top-of-the-line flagships. Apparently, they are simply interested in ensuring that the phone user has a good and stress-free experience with the device.
With the specs, that's a given. So that you can also afford the tickets for the places you want to photograph with the camera, the moto G5 will cost you little and the G5+ a little more.
The unique selling point
The trend for users to have as relaxed a time as possible continues with the battery. The moto G5 has a 2800 mAh battery and the G5+ has a 3000 mAh battery. Also not outstanding, but it gets exciting when we look at how the power gets into the battery. According to the promo material, the larger of the two phones can be charged extremely quickly using a technology called TurboPower. "Up to six hours of battery power after 15 minutes of charging" promises the data sheet.
Nice to note on the data sheet is the technical information that both battery charging speed and performance can decrease with increasing age of the smartphone. We're used to this, but it's still nice to be told this once again.
In short: The Lenovo moto G5 and the larger Lenovo moto G5+ are probably among the most interesting phones if you don't want to own a flagship, but simply want a mobile with all the functions and a lot of comfort in your trouser pocket or handbag.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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